Jesus and the Oral Torah: The Hem of His Garment

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(Matt. 9:20-21, KJV)

Jesus’ observance of this commandment is dramatically illustrated by the story, found in Matthew 9, Mark 5 and Luke 8, of the woman who suffered from a hemorrhage for twelve years. … For a discussion of Matt. 23:5 and Matt. 9:20, see David Bivin, “The New International Jesus,” Jerusalem Perspective 56 [Jul.

If Your Eye Be Single

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Couched within Jesus’ teaching is an idiom which is difficult to translate, “If your eye is single, your whole body is full of light” (Matt. 6:22). … Nevertheless, in Matthew 6, where you would expect to find the idiom, “good eye,” the adjective used in our saying is not καλός (kalos, good, pleasant) but ἁπλοῦς (haplous, single, simple)…. In particular, attention should be given to the language of spiritual dualism (i.e., light-darkness; love-hate) present in Matthew 6:22-24 and the use of the Qumran term “mammon” for wealth. … Matt. 6:24 and Luke 16:13), which also appears in the Dead Sea Scrolls, to caution his disciples about divided loyalty.

Let the One Who Has Ears to Hear, “Hear!”

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While adaptation of existing parables is common in Rabbinic Judaism, Christian students are surprised to observe how closely Jesus’ parable of The House Built upon the Rock (Matt. 7:24-27; Luke 6:47-49) resembles an ancient similitude in Avot de-Rabbi Natan (Version A, chap. 24; Goldin, p. 103).

Repentance: God Inhales

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Preface In March of 1998 I participated in an annual conference sponsored by the Centre for the Study of Biblical Research. Several sessions had been designated for me to speak, and during one of them I presented “Repentance: God Inhales.” The response from the audience seemed favorable, so upon returning to Wichita Falls, Texas, (where Janet and I lived for 22 months), I began entertaining the idea of transcribing, revising, editing, and eventually publishing the material in printed form. To achieve this goal, I received considerable assistance from others. Diana and Ronnie Hicks volunteered as transcribers.

Treasures in Heaven

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Luke 11:34, which says, “the lamp of your body is your eye,” is repeated in Matthew 6:22. … The precise meaning of the Greek adjective haplous in Matthew 6:22 remains elusive. … Jesus on Long-term Investing We will now direct our attention to the full context of Matthew 6:22 (and Luke 11:34):

Do not lay up for yourselves treasure on earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break in and steal. …

Matthew 6:19-24 represents a homily on maintaining a proper attitude toward money. … For example, Matthew 6:19-21 parallels Luke 12:33, 34, Matthew 6:22, 23 parallels Luke 11:34-36, and Matthew 6:24 parallels Luke 16:13, which comes after the Parable of the Unrighteous Steward.

Tutorial 1: Significance of Idioms

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The text of Matthew 6:22-23 literally reads: “The lamp of the body is the eye. … Only James Moffatt translates “good eye” as “generous,” but even he uses “sound” in the Lukan parallel to Matthew 6:22 (The same Greek word for “good” appears in both places.) Apparently, by the time Moffatt reached Luke 11:34 he was already beginning to have some doubts about his translation of Matthew 6:22.

The Angel Who Has Delivered Me from All Harm

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The phrase “who has redeemed me from all evil” is strikingly similar to the phrase “deliver us from evil” that appears in the Lord’s Prayer (Matt. 6:13)…. The Greek adjective used to translate ra (evil) in Genesis 48:16 was κακός (kakos, bad, evil), while the adjective translated “evil” in Matthew 6:13 is πονηρός (poneros, bad, evil); however, both Greek words were frequently used by the Septuagint’s translators to render the Hebrew ra.

Private: JerusalemPerspective.com Can Help You Find Answers!

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You are studying your Bible and you read Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:22-23, “The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. … Such a search will turn up articles, blogs, or posts (in Jerusalem Perspective Online’s Discussion Forum) that have discussed the word (for example, “single eye”) or Scripture (for example, “Matthew 6:22-23) for which you are looking.

The Lord’s Prayer 7: “Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread”

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The deceptively simple petition from Matthew 6:11, “Give us this day our daily bread,” has been a matter of controversy for centuries. … (Matt. 6:33-34)

Jesus was adamant concerning anxiety about the future:

Do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. … (Matt. 6:25-26)

To read the next article in this series, click here.

Pilgrimage in the Time of Jesus

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(Luke 2:41-43)

In Luke 2:43 it is stated that Jesus’ parents returned home when they had “fulfilled the days.”